The magic of the FA Cup - a look back at LFC & EFC's most memorable third round ties

THE third round of the FA Cup is one of the highlights in the football calendar, known for its shocks, romance and magic - here are a few of the more memorable third round ties involving Liverpool and Everton.

THE third round of the FA Cup is one of the highlights in the football calendar, known for its shocks, romance and magic - here are a few of the more memorable third round ties involving Liverpool and Everton.

1984: Liverpool 4 Newcastle United 0

The third draw paired the leaders of the First and Second Divisions with the tie given extra spice by the return of Newcastle's Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott to the ground where they had enjoyed so much success in the previous decade.

Joe Fagan's side, en route to a third successive league title, cruised into the fourth round thanks to goals from Michael Robinson, Ian Rush (2) and Craig Johnston while Newcastle ended their six-year exile from the top-flight with promotion the following May, which coincided with Keegan's retirement from playing, a move he later put down to the chastening experience undergone at Anfield just months earlier.

Famous for what happened before and after. Before the match, and after a disappointing first half of the season, Howard Kendall's team talk involved opening the windows of the changing room so the players could hear vocal backing of the thousands of Evertonians who had travelled to the Potteries.

Goals from Andy Gray and Alan Irvine set the Blues on the path to a fourth round meeting with Gillingham, eventual Wembley glory and the most successful period in the club's history.

1988: Sheffield Wednesday 0 Everton 5 (third replay)

If three matches on the bounce finish between two sides finish 1-1 in normal time, how would you expect the fourth match to end? The law of averages would say that you surely can't get the same result, but for one side to win 5-0 and for all the goals to come before half-time is quite extraordinary.

That's what happened to Everton in their third replay with Sheffield Wednesday in 1988, with a hat-trick from Graeme Sharp, as well as goals from Adrian Heath and Ian Snodin, leaving people wondering why they couldn't do it the first time.

1999: Bristol City 0 Everton 2

The Blues had enjoyed a smash-and-grab victory at Ashton Gate just four years earlier and, after weathering the storm from the home side, came up with the goods late on to leave the travelling Evertonians dreaming of Wembley again.

Matt Jackson had been the unlikely hero in 1995 but on this occasion it was autumn signing Ibrahima Bakayoko who stole the show, slamming home a 25-yard free kick just four minutes from the end and then adding a second in stoppage time to set up a fourth round tie with Ipswich at Goodison.

2006: Luton Town 3 Liverpool 5

This game had pretty much everything. Having taken the lead through Steven Gerrard, Liverpool found themselves 3-1 down to Mike Newell's Luton Town early in the second half, with Djibril Cisse having missed a penalty in the process.

However, two goals from substitute Florent Sinama-Pongolle, along with a couple of stunning strikes from Xabi Alonso, the latter from his own half, gave the Reds a memorable start to a successful cup run which, after despatching Manchester United and Chelsea from the competition, would lead to silverware in Cardiff again.

2011: Manchester United 1 Liverpool 0

Now why would a Liverpool defeat at the hands of a certain team at the other of the East Lancs road be in any way memorable? After a wretched first half of the season under Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish was reinstated as Liverpool manager, 20 years after his first stint to the delight of the travelling.

A controversial first minute penalty converted by Ryan Giggs after Dimitar Berbatov went over a Daniel Agger challenge decided the game, with Steven Gerrard also being sent off by referee Howard Webb after half an hour, but the day will live long in the memory of the 9,000 Liverpudlians who travelled to Old Trafford, with Dalglish getting revenge over old sparring partner Alex Ferguson in the fourth round of the competition the following season.